今年的BBC评出的年度关键词是Brain Rot（大脑腐败），指人们沉迷社交媒体和短视频，导致大脑丧失连贯思考能力。作为一个童年时曾花了很多年才建立好注意力的人，我以切身的沉痛代价，体验过大脑连贯思考功能有多么重要。意识就像脑内的时间制造局，将外部涌入的大量感官信息、随机的各种想法、记忆中的概念和事件等碎片连贯编织起来，从而使你产生认识和决策。有意识的保持关注并加以操作的能力，也就是注意力，是一种非常重要的能力，需要耐心、时间与培育。假如脑内时间制造局溃散，会对人的生活产生全面的影响。
This year's keyword of the year chosen by the BBC is Brain Rot, which refers to people being addicted to social media and short videos, leading to a loss of coherent thinking ability. As someone who spent many years in childhood building up attention, I have experienced firsthand the painful cost of how important coherent thinking is. Consciousness is like a time-making bureau in the brain, weaving together the massive influx of sensory information, random thoughts, concepts and events from memory into a coherent whole, allowing you to form understanding and make decisions. The ability to consciously maintain focus and operate on it, which is attention, is a very important skill that requires patience, time, and nurturing. If the time-making bureau in the brain collapses, it will have a comprehensive impact on a person's life.

学习困难到底是一种什么样的感觉？ What does it really feel like to have learning difficulties?

例如一大半学员的提问，集中在作业问题。因为作业要拖拉几小时无法完成，导致孩子没时间玩耍和阅读，发展其他爱好。我是亲眼见到小树，能在几分钟内一口气写完学校作业，能三小时一动不动，一口气看完一本200页的书。也能花1-2小时，完成题量很大的练习题、编程题，无需大人陪伴盯梢，并不会东摸摸西摸摸，而是可以集中注意一鼓作气。对比我小时候截然不同的体验，更深刻地感受到无法集中注意，确实是一种特殊困难。
For example, more than half of the students' questions focus on homework issues. Because homework drags on for hours and cannot be completed, children have no time to play and read, or to develop other hobbies. I have personally seen Xiaoshu finish school assignments in one go within a few minutes, sit still for three hours to read a 200-page book in one go, and spend 1-2 hours completing a large number of exercises and programming tasks without adult supervision, staying focused without getting distracted. Compared to my completely different experience as a child, I deeply feel that the inability to concentrate is indeed a special difficulty.

我自己小学最初的几年里都完全无法让屁股沾凳子超过一分钟，自然是根本无法完成作业的。现在还清晰的记得当时的情况：脑子里像旋风一样，大量跳跃的念头、想法呼啸而过，不断引爆新的想法、画面里有不同人的表情、话语，经历过的事情等情节“闪回“在脑子里快速播放，每个画面上又有无穷的细节吸引我，整个人如同置身于一个彩虹色龙卷风里，风暴里全是跳跳糖，彼此引爆，让我无意识地沉迷其中。
In the first few years of my elementary school, I couldn't keep my butt on the chair for more than a minute, so naturally, I couldn't complete my homework. I still clearly remember the situation at that time: my mind was like a whirlwind, with a lot of jumping thoughts and ideas whistling by, constantly triggering new ideas, images of different people's expressions, words, and flashbacks of past events quickly playing in my mind. Each image had endless details attracting me, and I felt like I was in a rainbow-colored tornado, a storm full of popping candy, each triggering the other, making me unconsciously immersed in it.

当我整个人都被卷进脑内旋风里的时候，意识的时钟，就会跟外部时间脱节。
When my whole being is swept into the whirlwind inside my brain, the clock of consciousness becomes disconnected from external time.

比如突然发现周围很安静，原来上课已经有一会儿了，我人在梦里，压根没听到上课铃。或者突然发现人已经在家里了，但是书包呢？在放学后去的公园里？还是落在书店里？或者突然发现自己像个橡皮猴子，在家里的桌子椅子沙发茶几电视柜上不断地跳来跳去，脑子里的兴奋风暴让身体也没办法停下来，太阳居然要下山了，我的内在时空过了一瞬间，外面已经一天过去了。
For example, I suddenly find it very quiet around me, and it turns out that class has been going on for a while. I was in a dream and didn't hear the class bell at all. Or I suddenly find myself already at home, but where is my backpack? Is it in the park I went to after school? Or did I leave it in the bookstore? Or I suddenly find myself like a rubber monkey, constantly jumping around on the tables, chairs, sofas, coffee tables, and TV cabinets at home. The storm of excitement in my brain makes it impossible for my body to stop, and the sun is actually setting. My internal time and space passed in an instant, but outside, a whole day has gone by.

现在我研究学习科学，才知道我童年时的那种状态是注意力缺陷 (ADHD)。当然，不是所有作业拖拉的孩子都是注意力缺陷，有的孩子单纯是累了、作业太机械无趣且太多，或者缺乏玩耍、心理抗拒等，多种因素，需要具体观察对待。
Now that I study learning science, I realize that the state I experienced in my childhood was Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Of course, not all children who procrastinate on homework have attention deficits. Some children are simply tired, find the homework too mechanical, uninteresting, and excessive, or lack playtime, have psychological resistance, among other factors, which require specific observation and treatment.

ADHD的小孩并非主观上不思进取，他们不缺乏上进心、好奇心和求知欲，不需要更多批评指责，更不需要与别的孩子横向比较的貌似“激励”实则为打击的所谓“敲打”。需要的是更多的自由探索、更多的互动和更多的支持。
Children with ADHD are not subjectively unambitious. They do not lack ambition, curiosity, or a desire for knowledge. They do not need more criticism or blame, nor do they need the so-called "encouragement" of being compared to other children, which is actually a form of discouragement. What they need is more freedom to explore, more interaction, and more support.

如何改善注意力？ How to improve attention?

点燃内在的改变契机 Ignite the opportunity for inner change

我大概是在初中的时候，实现了能够接近小树的注意力水平。这种转变，始自一个觉醒时刻，之后又用了好几年。我至今还清晰的记得梦醒时分。那是小学时暑假的一个下午，我好像突然睁开了心里的眼睛，看到自己正在家里做布朗运动，而且明明记得“刚吃完早饭”，突然周围已经是傍晚。那一刻，作为一个小孩，心里对这一天的白白逝去，感受到极大的痛苦，强烈地想要改变，希望可以干点有意义的事情。想看妈妈的朋友送我的那本厚厚的《水浒传》，想要看漫画，书里面有无穷的精彩，而我为什么止不住从床上往下跳？突然觉醒的痛苦压得我的胃和心脏都感觉到了疼痛。
I probably reached the level of attention close to a small tree when I was in middle school. This transformation began with a moment of awakening and took several more years. I still clearly remember the moment of waking up. It was an afternoon during the summer vacation of elementary school, and it felt like I suddenly opened the eyes of my heart, seeing myself doing Brownian motion at home. I distinctly remembered "just having breakfast," and suddenly it was already evening. At that moment, as a child, I felt immense pain for the wasted day and had a strong desire to change, hoping to do something meaningful. I wanted to read the thick "Water Margin" that my mom's friend gave me, wanted to read comics, as there was endless excitement in books, and I wondered why I couldn't stop jumping off the bed. The pain of sudden awakening pressed on my stomach and heart, making them ache.

但我也知道，假如非得命令自己好好坐在书桌前，可能这辈子都不可能看书。于是放松了保护视力的要求，允许自己躺着看，倒立看，把台灯放进被子里看，可以站在书桌上看。站在柜子顶上时，一览众山小的新奇视角和要防止掉下去的警觉，居然神奇地让我旋风样的脑子平静下来，我就决定站到柜子上面看书（不要模仿七岁儿童的淘气想法）。
But I also knew that if I had to force myself to sit properly at the desk, I might never be able to read in this lifetime. So, I relaxed the requirements for protecting my eyesight, allowing myself to read lying down, upside down, with a desk lamp under the blanket, or standing on the desk. When standing on top of the cabinet, the novel perspective of overlooking everything and the alertness to prevent falling miraculously calmed my whirlwind-like mind, so I decided to stand on the cabinet to read (do not imitate the mischievous ideas of a seven-year-old child).

点燃改变的重要契机是做喜爱的事情。 我当时是由于热爱阅读，为了能好好享受阅读，就从浪颠的森林猿猴，坐了下来，继而成功地坐到了椅子上。已经能坐上椅子了，下面就是从阅读喜欢的名著和漫画，过渡可以写作业背课文。
The important opportunity to ignite change is to do what you love. At that time, it was my love for reading that made me sit down from being a forest monkey on the waves, and then successfully sit on a chair. Once I could sit on a chair, the next step was to transition from reading favorite classics and comics to being able to do homework and memorize texts.

其他孩子坐到椅子上的契机也许不是阅读，可能会是需要长久地静静观察昆虫和动物，制作拼装机器模型，画画、编程等。总之是能令本人眼睛一亮、沉浸其中的东西，才足以推动孩子付出额外的努力。应该允许孩子探索自己喜爱的事物，首先体验到专注的乐趣，哪怕是在大人眼里，这些爱好暂时没用，不高大上，也应该支持。
The opportunity for other children to sit on a chair might not be reading; it could be the need to quietly observe insects and animals for a long time, make model machines, draw, or program. In short, it is something that can make their eyes light up and immerse themselves in, enough to motivate them to put in extra effort. Children should be allowed to explore what they love, first experiencing the joy of focus, even if in the eyes of adults, these hobbies are temporarily useless or not prestigious, they should still be supported.

现在想来另一个积极因素可能是对音乐的喜欢。小时候家里有卡朋特金曲、中外民歌和迪士尼等磁带，每天睡前都要听。后来父母让我学琴，接触了古典音乐，我发现只要放莫扎特和巴赫这样的古典音乐（肖邦等浪漫主义不太行），我那完全不可控的奔突的能量，就能沉静收束，细水长流地注入到手头任务里。古典音乐搭配繁重长时间工作这一招，现在仍然有效。
Looking back now, another positive factor might be my love for music. When I was a child, my family had tapes of Carpenters' hits, folk songs from China and abroad, and Disney music, which I listened to every night before bed. Later, my parents encouraged me to learn the piano, and I was introduced to classical music. I found that as long as I played classical music like Mozart and Bach (romantic composers like Chopin didn't work as well), my uncontrollable bursts of energy could be calmed and channeled into my tasks in a steady flow. This trick of pairing classical music with long, demanding work still works for me today.

学琴也有一个不能更潦草的开始。父母都很忙，每天晚上九、十点才回来，那个时代没有双休，他们又完全不懂音乐，完全没空陪练。让一个七岁小孩管自己的话，当然就是尽可能的糊弄，一开始只有周六去上课前突击两小时就以为可以到爷爷面前蒙混过关（老师让我叫他爷爷）。到几年后，才产生独立意识，自己想要每天稳定练习1-2小时。在这几年中，爷爷一直非常稳定地温暖和宽容，接受我不是个勤奋的学生，志向也不是成为专业演奏家，所以从来没说过我不好，而是秉持“活着就行”，作业少而轻松。下课之后还会跟我一起欣赏他淘来的新碟片。
Learning the piano also had a rather haphazard start. My parents were very busy and didn't come home until nine or ten at night. There were no weekends off in those days, and they knew nothing about music, so they had no time to practice with me. When you leave a seven-year-old to manage on their own, of course, they will try to get by with the least effort. Initially, I would cram for two hours before my Saturday lessons, thinking I could fool my teacher (whom I called Grandpa). It wasn't until a few years later that I developed a sense of independence and wanted to practice consistently for 1-2 hours every day. During those years, Grandpa was always warm and tolerant, accepting that I wasn't a diligent student and had no ambition to become a professional musician. He never criticized me but adhered to the philosophy of "as long as you're alive, it's fine," giving me light and easy assignments. After class, he would also enjoy new records he had found with me.

沉浸式聆听音乐，也是一个大脑可以同时凝神专注，又自由无目的的状态，跟快速散步和冥想很像，非常利于大脑切换与休养生息。
Immersive listening to music is a state where the brain can be both focused and free without purpose, much like brisk walking and meditation, which is very beneficial for the brain to switch modes and recuperate.

也许是阅读和音乐这两种爱好的长期塑造，到了初中，我就能做到像别人一样专注几小时，学习一整天了。一直专注到深夜晚自习也没问题。改变的内在契机，一定是从本人有兴趣的事情，有足够的快乐奖赏，才建立起自主控制力，然后慢慢形塑其他行为的。
Perhaps due to the long-term influence of my hobbies in reading and music, by the time I reached middle school, I could focus for hours like others and study all day. I could even concentrate during late-night self-study sessions without any problem. The internal catalyst for this change must have come from activities I was genuinely interested in, with enough joyful rewards to build self-control, which gradually shaped other behaviors.

除了内在热爱的契机，也需要外部有利环境 In addition to the internal catalyst of passion, a favorable external environment is also needed.

注意力缺陷其实是前额叶无法控制其他脑区活动，这种能力在有的孩子，需要更多耐心的培育。外部的有利环境是我父母和老师对我的宽容和鼓励，最重要的是不能一次性要求太全面，标准太高，孩子做不到就贴标签评判本人。
Attention deficit is actually the inability of the prefrontal cortex to control the activities of other brain regions. This ability in some children requires more patient nurturing. A favorable external environment includes the tolerance and encouragement from my parents and teachers. Most importantly, one should not demand too much all at once or set standards too high, as labeling and judging the child when they can't meet expectations is not helpful.

如果大人控制不了情绪崩溃，就不如退出微观管理，不要直接管作业，改用其他方式来关注和影响。 我妈是个暴脾气，也许她自己知道，所以从来不陪写作业。但她和我爸经常在生活中就随机看到的事情跟我讨论，比如昆虫是否比人力气大，昆虫有什么神奇的地方使它们能举起百倍于体重的东西？为什么每个朝代最后都会发生农民起义？股市是什么？共产主义是什么？美国为什么轰炸南斯拉夫之类的，大人会很认真地回答我的问题。
If adults can't control their emotional breakdowns, it's better to step back from micromanagement and not directly manage homework, but instead use other ways to pay attention and influence. My mom has a bad temper, and maybe she knows it herself, so she never accompanied me to do homework. But she and my dad often discussed random things they saw in life with me, like whether insects are stronger than humans, what amazing things allow insects to lift objects hundreds of times their weight, why every dynasty eventually had peasant uprisings, what the stock market is, what communism is, why the US bombed Yugoslavia, and so on. Adults would seriously answer my questions.

在这种非正式的知识性讨论里，父母不断对我的好奇心和求知欲做出正反馈，让我不怀疑自己的学习能力。ADHD的一个特点是爱说话，表达特别快，所以我上课回答问题非常积极，写作文和日记都非常积极，老师都不吝表扬。老师也不断给我鼓励和正反馈，哪怕作业不能保证交，也没有被归类为差生。
In these informal knowledge discussions, my parents continuously gave positive feedback to my curiosity and desire to learn, making me not doubt my learning ability. A characteristic of ADHD is being talkative and expressing oneself quickly, so I was very active in answering questions in class and writing essays and diaries. Teachers were generous with their praise. They also constantly encouraged and gave me positive feedback, even if I couldn't always submit my homework, I wasn't categorized as a poor student.

现在回想，童年时这些大人们不知道有没有商量好，对我做不到的事情集体暂时视而不见，不加苛责，而对能做到的事情总是不吝赞赏和鼓励。 没有因为作业的事情损伤我的信心，没感到得不到学校的接纳和认可。
Looking back now, I wonder if the adults in my childhood had agreed to collectively turn a blind eye to the things I couldn't do, without harsh criticism, while always being generous with praise and encouragement for the things I could do. They didn't damage my confidence over homework issues, and I didn't feel unaccepted or unrecognized by the school.

父母从不微观管理指挥我纠正我，一次都没有给我贴过任何这不行、那不行的标签，也从没跟其他孩子比较，只是通过他们跟我讨论问题时的开放态度，用积极开放的态度让我感到无论怎么样，人没问题，办法可以慢慢尝试，慢慢改善。尤其是我妈妈，对我永远抱有有无限的信任和支持，让我积聚自我控制的能力，我就真的改变了。
My parents never micromanaged or directed me, never labeled me with "this is not okay" or "that is not okay," and never compared me to other children. Instead, through their open attitude when discussing issues with me, they made me feel that no matter what, there is no problem with the person, and solutions can be tried and improved gradually. Especially my mother, who always had infinite trust and support for me, helped me develop self-control, and I truly changed.

理论上，前额叶一般需要青春期晚期才能成熟。果然，我也是到了初中以后，告别了那种奔突恣肆的意识流旋风。那种随时随地醒来，不知道我是谁、我在哪的白日梦再也没有过了。
Theoretically, the prefrontal cortex generally matures in late adolescence. Indeed, it was after I entered middle school that I bid farewell to the whirlwind of stream-of-consciousness thoughts. Those daydreams where I would wake up not knowing who I was or where I was never happened again.

我的经历中，总结一下，正向的因素有： In my experience, to summarize, the positive factors are:

1.     寻找乐趣，点燃内在改变的契机：宽容的父母和学校，允许孩子进行丰富尝试，沉浸在乐趣中。在乐趣中培养出的专注力，后来就可以导向学习学校的教学内容。
1. Finding joy and igniting the opportunity for internal change: Tolerant parents and schools allow children to try a variety of experiences and immerse themselves in joy. The focus cultivated in joy can later be directed towards learning the school's curriculum.

即使是看似很难很沉重的任务，也永远不要停止寻找更有趣的打开方式。比如写作文很沉重，但是一起躺着编故事，或者用这本书来比赛谁的胡说八道更加精彩，就乐趣无穷了。乐趣能消除恐惧，当我们不再惧怕时，就更能适应正式的任务了。
Even for tasks that seem difficult and heavy, never stop looking for more interesting ways to approach them. For example, writing essays can be daunting, but lying down together to make up stories or using the book to compete on who can come up with more outrageous tales can be endlessly fun. Joy can eliminate fear, and when we are no longer afraid, we can better adapt to formal tasks.

2.     容许潦草的开始，不断正向强化能做到的个别事。父母和老师都没有因为暂时做不到的事，给孩子进行大量的负面打击和贴标签，而是强化能做到的事，不断积累孩子对自身能力的信心。
Allow a rough start and continuously reinforce the individual things that can be done. Parents and teachers do not give children a lot of negative criticism and labels for things they cannot do temporarily, but instead reinforce the things they can do, continuously building the child's confidence in their own abilities.

如果父母有更多时间和意愿，而且能做到大大咧咧，情绪稳定，还可以进一步尝试做以下的事情：
If parents have more time and willingness, and can be easy-going and emotionally stable, they can further try to do the following things:

3.     多户外活动，运动和自由玩耍对各脑区协调有明显改善作用。千万不要用刷手机和看视频进一步填充疲惫的大脑，允许孩子们多进行无监督自由玩耍，自发游戏。有助于儿童的前额叶皮质建立与其他脑区的关联，稳定情绪和分解压力。
Engage in more outdoor activities; exercise and free play have a significant effect on improving the coordination of various brain regions. Do not further fill the tired brain with scrolling through phones and watching videos. Allow children to engage in more unsupervised free play and spontaneous games. This helps in establishing connections between the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions, stabilizing emotions, and relieving stress.

4.     散步和游泳等舒缓运动，能令人进入类似冥想的状态，放松控制，能让大脑安静下来，进入随机并行的状态。也就是很多人体验过的，在散步中，会产生之前想不到的新点子。与其盯作业鸡飞狗跳，不如跟孩子每天散散步，聊一些表面看起来跟学习无关的，但有乐趣的话题，了解孩子的思维活跃度和内心状态，加强情感联接和信任。
Gentle exercises like walking and swimming can put people in a meditative state, relaxing control, allowing the brain to quiet down and enter a state of random parallel processing. Many people have experienced coming up with new ideas during a walk. Instead of stressing over homework, it's better to take a walk with your child every day, discussing topics that seem unrelated to learning but are enjoyable, to understand the child's mental activity and inner state, and to strengthen emotional connection and trust.

5.     人本来就是社会动物，学习的最佳方式本来就是人际交互。用交谈输出取代单打独斗。如果孩子作文写不下去，不要任其独自发呆两小时。可以进行五分钟的讨论，让孩子学会先头脑风暴，再整理出大纲的工作流程（详细内容见《智慧星球》的认知读写训练营）。
Humans are inherently social animals, and the best way to learn is through interpersonal interaction. Replace solitary efforts with conversational output. If a child is stuck on writing an essay, do not let them sit idly for two hours. A five-minute discussion can be held to teach the child to brainstorm first and then organize an outline (for detailed content, see the cognitive reading and writing camp of "Wisdom Planet").

小树曾经很怕写作文，FCE前我带她做过几次写作练习。教她学会了按照认知架构做的三级大纲，用这种大纲组织思维，使她8岁的时候考FCE作文拿了高分（见《智慧星球》认知读写训练营）。平时写作也学会一整套流程，下笔前搜集信息、脑风暴，再提炼整理成核心概念、展开说明和事实支持的三级大纲，这一套操作方法，能极大建立孩子对自主思考和写作的自信。
The little tree used to be very afraid of writing essays. Before the FCE, I took her through several writing exercises. I taught her to use a three-level outline based on cognitive architecture to organize her thoughts, which helped her score high in the FCE essay at the age of 8 (see "Wisdom Planet" Cognitive Reading and Writing Training Camp). She also learned a complete set of processes for writing, including gathering information, brainstorming, and then refining and organizing it into a three-level outline of core concepts, detailed explanations, and factual support. This set of methods can greatly build a child's confidence in independent thinking and writing.

6.     数学题做不出来也不要让孩子痛苦地空耗时间，可以走阅读理解五步法（见《智慧星球》认知读写训练营）：让小孩给大人读题，划出关键词，整理成已知和未知条件，用自己的话表述这些条件，提炼出解决方案。如果实在没有想法，可以找出类似的题、做过的同类题，进行比照和模式提取。
6. If a child cannot solve a math problem, do not let them waste time in pain. Instead, use the five-step reading comprehension method (see "Wisdom Planet" Cognitive Reading and Writing Training Camp): have the child read the problem to an adult, highlight keywords, organize known and unknown conditions, express these conditions in their own words, and extract a solution. If they still have no ideas, they can find similar problems or previously solved similar problems for comparison and pattern extraction.

7.     视觉化。遇到问题，回忆过去类似的状况，提取整合过去的经验。或者将知识的关键词列成视觉化关系图来记忆。
7. Visualization. When encountering a problem, recall similar situations from the past and integrate past experiences. Alternatively, list the keywords of the knowledge into a visual relationship map for memory.

8.     将时间可视化，用待办事项和番茄钟来管理课后时间。列出晚上要完成的任务，估计待办事项上每项任务的完成时间，并设置番茄钟。通过计时，逐渐形成时间意识，将内在的时间感与外部时间同步。
8. Visualize time by using to-do lists and a Pomodoro timer to manage after-school time. List the tasks to be completed in the evening, estimate the completion time for each task on the to-do list, and set a Pomodoro timer. Through timing, gradually develop a sense of time and synchronize the internal sense of time with external time.

更多强化注意力的操作见《智慧星球》课程内容。 For more operations to enhance attention, see the "Wisdom Planet" course content.